Transformer-tank.



G. WHHE, JR.

TRANSFORMER TANK.

APPLICATION FlLED mu. 5. I915.

gzssrasaw hfented Dec. 17,1918.

INVENTOR Ge 0/78 W77/7e fr ATTORNEY WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE WHITE, JR., OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

TRANSFORMER-TANK.

Application filed January 6, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE WHITE, Jr., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Swissvale, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Transformer-Tanks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to inclosing casings or tanks having large heat-radiating surfaces, and it has special reference to casings or tanks to contain electrical apparatus and an immersing cooling and insulating fluid therefor.

Heretofore, it has been common practice to construct a casing of the above-mentioned character which comprised a corrugated sheet steel shell having a cast-in bottom and a cast-in crown portion. The weight of such tanks, if of large size, is such that they cannot be handled expeditiously.

One object of my invention is to provide a simple and cheap casing of such construction as will insure adequate heat radiation and be liquid-tight to preclude the outflow of the insulating and cooling liquid contained therein. Moreover, a tank constructed in accordance with my invention will have a substantially light weight, and, at the same time, be able to resist such mechanical stresses as are occasioned by handling the tank by means of crane hooks, etc.

For a better understanding of the nature and scope of my invention, reference may be had to the following description and the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a view. partially in elevation and partially in section, of a transformer tank embodying a form of my invention; Fig. 2 is a top view, partially in section, of the tank shown in Fig. 1, and Figs. 3 and 4 are views of a portion of the tank taken along the lines IIIIII and IVIV, respectively, of Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 1. the transformer 1 having a magnetizable core member 2, a supporting frame 3 therefor, and a current-carrying winding 4, is inclosed in a fluid-containing tank 5 to which it is secured by any suitable means. A body of insulating and cooling fluid 6 is disposed within the tank 5 to insulate and cool the active parts of the transformer 1. The tank 5 comprises a shell 7 having side walls formed of corrugated Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

Serial No. 812.

sheet steel to which is welded a bottom plate 8. To reinforce the shell 7, a bottom end frame 9 and a top end frame 10 engage the lower edge and the upper edge, respectively, of the shell portion, as will be hereinafter explained. Members 11 composed of angle irons are secured to the bottom plate 8 and the bottom end frame 9, as shown in the drawing, in order to reinforce the casing against the stresses occasioned by the weight of the transformer 1 and to provide means for disposing the tank on any suitable base. Tie rods 12, extending between the bottom and top end frames 9 and 10, securely hold the same in fixed relationship to each other, and, at the same time, permit the top end frame to be exteriorly detached from the casing.

As shown in Fig. 2, the shell portion 7 of the tank is made from a continuous piece of sheet steel which is provided with longitudinal corrugations 13. The top end frame 10 is provided, at its lower edge, with an outwardly and downwardly extending flange portion 14, the horizontal portion of which engages the top surface of the corrugated shell 7 and the downwardly extending portion 15 of which engages the shell 7 along the outer surfaces of the corrugations 13.

In order to effectively reinforce the shell 7 at its upper edge, an apron 16 is welded. to the inner surface of the upper end-frame 10 and projects downwardly to provide an inner extension 17 which corresponds to the outer extension 15. By reason of the flange 14: and the extensions 15 and 17, a channel is formed which embraces the upper edge of the shell 7 and reinforces it against side pressures. Moreover, the apron 16 prevents any of the oil or insulating fluid 6 from splashing out of the tank 5.

The shell 7 of the tank is constructed, at its bottom portion, as shown in Fig. 3, to preclude the development of leaks resulting from faulty joints. The adjacent walls comprising the corrugations 13 are pressed together, as shown at 18, and then welded together to provide continuous autogenous joints. After the entire bottom portion of the shell 7 has been so formed, the bottom plate 8 of sheet steel is welded to the inner edge of the shell which constitutes a substantially regular edge, thereby greatly facilitating the welding of the plate 8 to the shell portion. It may be advisable to supply a second bottom plate 20 to provide a sufliciently strong structure for supporting the transfonner 1. The bottom end frame 9 is preferably made of standard angle irons which are welded together to conform to the shape of the bottom of the shell 7. It will be noted that the upwardly extending portion 21 engages the outer edges of the compressed portions of the corrugations 13,. thereby reinforcing the bottom edge of the shell 7 against lateral pressures. At each corner of the frame 8, I have shown a reinforcing plate 22 through which the tie-rod 12 may extend. Inasmuch as these tie-rods are exteriorly removable, the upper end frame 10 may be easily removed from the casing, thereby making the transformer 1 accessible. Of course, a cover (not shown) of any suitable form may be provided for the tank 5, and a seat may be formed therefor by means of welding a reinforcing member 23 to the upper edge of the upper end frame 10.

In Fig. A, I have shown how the bottom of the shell 7 is formed to provide tight joints, the dotted lines showing how the walls of adjacent corrugations are pressed together in order to be subsequently welded. It will be noted that the bottom end plate 8 is formed with straight edges, thereby greatly facilitating its being welded to the shell 7. In thismanner, a liquid-tight joint is insured since the welding operation is confined to metal members having regular edges which are not conducive to the formation of leaks resulting from imperfect welds. At the same time, the radiating surface of the tank is not appreciably decreased in area because the double-ply extensions 18 projecting from the inner regular edge act as radiating fins which form a homogeneous path for the heat flow from the interior of the casing. Again, the side walls of the tank are mechanically supported throughout their length, either by the corrugations or by the double-ply extensions 18. As a consequence, the tank may be readily handled, with the transformer disposed therein, without fear of the lower portion of the tank being deformed.

While I have explained in detail one form of my transformer tank, itwill be understood that many modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A fluid-containing casing comprising a shell having corrugated-sheet side walls, adjacent walls of the corrugations along the lower edges of said shell member being compressed to form a series of double-ply pro jections which protrude from a regular edge, a bottom plate secured to said regular edge by a contlnuous autogenous oint, a bottom end frame, a detachable top end frame having a channel formed therein to receive the upper edges of said shell member, and means for securing the end frames together.

2. A fluid-containing casing comprising a shell member having longitudinally-corrugated side walls, the corrugations adjacent to the lower edges thereof having their adj acent walls compressed to form a series of outside double-ply projections which protrude from an inner regular edge, a bottom plate secured to said inner regular edge by a continuous autogenous joint, a bottom end frame, a top end frame having a channel formed on its lower portion to receive the upper corrugated edges of said shell member, and tie rods for securing the end frames together.

3. A fluid-containing casing comprising a shell member having longitudinally-corrugated side walls, the corrugations adjacent to the lower edges thereof having their adjacent walls compressed to form a series of outside double-ply projections which protrude from an inner regular edge, a bottom plate secured to said inner regular edge by a continuous autogenous joint, exteriorly detachable top and bottom end frames having channels that receive the edges of said shell member, and means for securing the end frames together.

4:. A fluid-containing casing comprising a shell member having corrugated-sheet side walls, the corrugations adj acent to the lower edge thereof having their walls compressed to form a series of outwardly extending double-ply projections which protrude from an inner regular edge, a bottom plate secured to said inner regular edge by a continuous autogenous joint, a lower end frame having an upwardly-extending peripheral lip to engage the outer edges of said doubleply projections, a detachable top end frame having a channel formed to receive the upper corrugated edges of said shell member, and exteriorly-accessible tie-rods for securing'said upper end frame to the lower end frame.

5. A fluid-containing casing comprising a shell member formed of corrugated-sheet metal, the walls of the corrugations adjacent to one of the edges thereof being compressed to form a regular edge from which two-ply extensions outwardly project, a member having a regular edge to engage said regular edge of said shell member whereby they may be joined by a continuous autogenous joint, end frames having lips for engaging the edges of the corrugations, and means for se curing the end frames together.

6. A fluid-containing casing comprising a shell member having corrugated sheet side walls, the corrugations adjacent to the lower edge thereof having their walls compressed to form a series of outwardlyextending double-ply projections which protrude from and externally-accessible tie rods for securan inner regular edge, a bottom plate seing the end frames together. 10 cured to the said inner regular edge by a con- In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subtinuous joint, a lower end frame having an scribed my name this 30th day of Dec., 1914. upwardly-extending peripheral lip to engage GEO. WHITE, J R.

the outer edges of said double-ply projec- Witnesses:

tions, a top end frame for receiving the up- JACOB BEECH,

per corrugated edges of the shell member, B. B. HINEs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

